August 23, 2023
The City of South Bend, along with the nonprofit organizations who have installed solar projects as part of the Energy Assistance Solar Savings Initiative (EASSI), hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 23 at 1 p.m. at The St. Joseph County Public Library Tutt Branch to celebrate their new clean energy systems.
The EASSI program provides subsidized energy assessments, grants, and low-interest loans to community organizations to complete energy efficiency and solar projects.
“I am proud of the continued progress and support by our local organizations in joining this initiative and installing more solar,” said Mayor James Mueller. “Unlocking more solar energy is key to realizing a greener, sustainable future for our city and community.”
Seven nonprofits have installed solar projects since the program’s launch in January 2022, which are the following:
- The Beacon Resource Center
- La Casa de Amistad
- Paramount Schools of Excellence
- Near Northwest Neighborhood
- The Clubhouse of St. Joseph County
- Saint Joseph County Library
- Unity Gardens
The program also anticipates three additional nonprofit organizations to install solar by the end of the year.
“We are gratefully saving $400 to $500 monthly on our utility bills due to the solar panels,” said Tess Olson, Executive Director of the Clubhouse of St. Joseph County.
“By the end of this year, the launch of EASSI will collectively provide over 500kW of solar energy,” said Director of Sustainability, Alex Bazán. “This number is equivalent to saving over 48,800 gallons of gasoline from being consumed each year.”
To learn more about the EASSI program, visit southbendin.gov/eassi/